1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to detection of objects using a wireless device, particularly vehicles within a proximity of a user's vehicle. More particularly, the present invention employs thermal imaging, RADAR and untagged audio location to determine the presence of vehicles within the proximity of the user's vehicle.
2. Background of the Invention
The driving of an automobile is a very common mode of transportation in modern society. There are increasing numbers of cars on the road every day. In cities there is a constant traffic problem. In some cities, obstructing the flow of traffic is a violation subject to a fine even if one is already traveling faster than what the speed limit allows.
City engineers widen streets, build highways, and fine tune the signaling of traffic all in an effort to improve the flow of traffic and increase the efficiency of the transit system. However, the widened streets and highways attract even more motorists. The fine tuning of traffic signals is a tedious and expensive surveying job and the result is merely a timing scheme based on averages.
Similarly, there are several technologies that could potentially ease traffic congestion by keeping the driver of a vehicle more in tune with surrounding vehicles. Cellular communication is another area of increasing technology and availability. At the end of 2005, a CTIA study showed that 69% of the United States population subscribed to a cellular telephone service. Cellular telephones work on a network of receiving towers that communicate with a central location. These towers are constantly being built in an effort to create a seamless network across the globe. Not only is this market more popular, but the technology is growing. Cellular companies have now opened data pipelines for delivering broadband internet straight to its customer's phones. People typically carry their cellular telephones with them everywhere, and some even have cradles setup in their vehicles to hold their wireless telephones while on the road.
Cellular telephones come in a wide variety of types and models with features covering everything from onboard cameras to Global Positioning System (GPS) units. They can come in Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) versions which typically have a more powerful processor and more memory. As the cellular communication equipment of the phone gets smaller and smaller, the phone housing has more room to store hardware for other functions, such as GPS units, cameras, larger screens, keyboards, memory cards, audio jacks, speakers, etc.
Heat sensing technology has been in demand for years now, particularly in military and municipal applications. At the heart of heat sensing technology is infrared detection, which is used for security systems, heat-seeking missiles, etc. Thermal imaging has become more commonplace in firefighting. Thermal cameras are used to detect subjects through smoke and locate the source of fires. Thermal imaging makes these tasks easier and more efficient and has set a higher demand on these products. With the innovation the demand has spawned, thermal imaging has become less expensive and is available in a handheld package. However, there is no current application for heat-sensing in traffic control.
On the software side, there is extensive research and development in artificial intelligence (AI). Particularly useful is the application of image recognition. Image recognition AI is not nearly as good as the human eye, but has come a long way. Software developers have been working on facial recognition software, not just to recognize one face from another, but to pick out the facial expression and derive an emotion from it.
Similarly, the technology on fingerprint software recognition has become very effective. Fingerprint scanning has become a reliable standard for even military grade security. These scanners, combined with image-recognition software, can spot multiple points of recognition between two fingerprints and give an estimate of the accuracy of the match. However, nothing in the art has applied image-recognition technology to traffic control.
Audio location technology has become more economical. It no longer requires expensive microphones and spectrum analyzers. New software technology for tagged and untagged audio sources can function with any microphone. Untagged audio sources require at least four microphones, one for time-of-arrival detection, and the other three to triangulate the position. If five total microphones are used, two of them can be used for time-of-arrival detection for greater accuracy.
The engine of an automobile typically runs at about fifty to one-hundred degrees warmer than the surrounding environment, making it a thermal body that stands out from its surroundings, even human or animal. Engines also make a sound that is easily recognizable to the ear. This is because engines emit largely the same body of frequencies while running. The range of frequencies may vary due to the size of engine, amount of power output, etc. It also changes as the engine accelerates or changes gears, but the sounds are nonetheless recognizable even by a software program.
Similarly, RADAR technology uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects. Radar has been used in many contexts including meteorology, air traffic control, police detection of speeding traffic and by the military. Electromagnetic waves reflect when they encounter a solid object in air. This is particularly true for materials that are electrically conductive like metal and carbon fibers, thus making RADAR well suited for detecting a vehicle. A RADAR system consists of an antenna that transmits an electromagnetic signal and an antenna that receives the reflection of the electromagnetic signal after it encounters a solid object. The transmitting antenna and receiving antenna many times are the same. Once the signal is received, signal processing is done to determine information about the object that caused the reflection including the speed, direction and range. The signal processing can be performed by hardware or software depending on particular needs and specification of the system being used.
Currently, systems that use RADAR have been deployed on the outside of vehicles to assist in parking. The RADAR system determines if a space is free and can calculate the size of the space to determine if the vehicle could there be parked. In addition, the RADAR can be used to determine if there are smaller objects surrounding the car, such as toys of small children. Further, RADAR has been deployed in parking garages to determine the location of empty parking stalls. The RADAR system scans the parking lot to find empty stalls and reports use, location and availability of stalls to management to reduce the search time for users and reduce cost for management. However, there is no use of RADAR technology in the application of traffic control, specifically in a convenient portable device carried by a driver to keep track of nearby vehicles and obstacles.
Cellular telephones and devices come in a wide variety of types and models with features covering everything from onboard cameras to Global Positioning System (GPS) units. They can come in Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) versions that typically have a powerful processor and lots of memory. As the cellular communication equipment of the device gets smaller and smaller, the device housing has more room to store hardware for other functions, such as GPS units, cameras, larger screens, keyboards, memory cards, audio jacks, speakers, etc.
However, cellular phones have become more of a distraction than a tool while driving. A combination of the above technologies incorporated into a mobile device could have many applications. What is needed in the art is a method of detection of objects, particularly vehicles, around a user while driving. The method should be small and handheld, and require no detectors outside the housing of the telephone.